RATED NC-17 and R for many chapters. Please Leave This Site If You Are Under 18.This story is Adult in nature, with explicit language and includes graphic depiction of adult sexual behavior
and some depiction of violence.

Chapter 26
No More Secrets

Welkin was sore in places she didn’t even know it was possible to be sore. Deprived of her wifely companionship for several days, Severus had been insatiable tonight and even more demanding than usual. Not that she was complaining. It had been wonderful. She stretched her arms and legs carefully, her body half exposed by the down coverlet, and admired Severus’s naked behind in the light from the fireplace. He was standing at the small table in the corner of the room, his back to her as he explored the contents of the picnic basket Molly Weasley had thoughtfully assembled for them.

"Here," he turned and tossed something to her. "I wanted to cover you with one of these earlier. It looks as if I got my Christmas wish."

"Oh you got your Christmas wish alright - and then some," she told him. "And I’m the one feeling the results of it right now."

She unfolded the garment he had thrown at her, looked at it and started to laugh. "Oh god, it’s one of those incredibly ugly Christmas sweaters. Did Molly give you one too?"

For his answer, and only because he knew it would amuse her, Snape pulled his own sweater on over his head and turned to face her, striking a jaunty pose, one hand on his hip. The front of his putrid green sweater featured something that might have been a large reindeer. At least, it had antlers of some sort. The nose and eyes were large furry balls of yarn, and the antlers were decorated with yarn Christmas balls in colors so bright they might blind you if you stared at them long enough.

"Whoa Nelly! Now that’s a definite look. Especially with your stuff hanging out like that," Welkin observed, indicating his exposed penis. "I like it. It makes a statement. Very seasonal and decorative yet somehow grotesque."

Welkin pulled her sweater on over her head and got out of bed, striking her own pose. "How do I look?" Her sweater featured a smaller, presumably female version of the reindeer, without antlers, but festooned in equally eye-bleeding bright colors.

"That garment almost makes me not want to fuck you. Almost." There was really nothing in this world that Welkin could ever put on her body that would make him not want to fuck her.

"We’ll use them for contraception then," Welkin agreed. She tossed his green boxers at him - the ones she had bought for him - realizing as she did that he must have donned them especially for her, in hopes that they would be reconcilled this evening at the party.

"Cover up your junk will ya? It’s distracting me. What’s in that basket to eat?" She slipped her red panties back on and joined him at the table.

Severus had loaded a plate with various meats, cheeses and confections for her, handed it to her and began to fill his own plate as she sat down. When he was finished he opened the elf wine and poured them each a glass, setting the basket on the floor to give them more room at the table.

"What should we toast to?" Welkin asked.

Severus looked at her seriously, considering. "To our love," he said finally. "And to no more secrets," he added, having made up his mind about something.

"To our love," Welkin agreed, "and no more secrets." She looked puzzled at the last part, but didn’t ask.

"I can’t believe you really decked Lucius Malfoy," Welkin told him as they started eating. "What kind of repercussions are you going to get from that?"

"None - and I would not care if I did. He should not have been so familiar with you."

"Yeah, damn him. Doesn’t he know that’s your job?" Welkin grinned, loving that things seemed to be back to normal between them. Maybe even better than normal. She devoured a piece of something that might have been game fowl of some sort, chewing and swallowing before delicately licking each finger clean.

"I’ll never doubt you again." She caught his gaze and held it for a long moment so that he would know how seriously she meant that.

"I cannot believe that so many people were trying to reunite us," Severus told her.

"They care about us, I guess," Welkin said, ignoring the cheese on her own plate to select a bite of the same thing from his.

"They care about you," Snape corrected.

"And you too Sevvy. You never believe that when I tell you, but Albus is very fond of you, and I’m sure a lot of other people at Hogwarts are too."

Snape considered that possibility. He had been surprised at Welkin’s revelation earlier this evening that Albus had engineered her arrival at Hogwarts, and maneuvered them together, thus assuring their ultimate romance.

"And I am fond of him," Severus finally admitted. "I am indebted to Albus for so much, particularly where you are concerned. I owe him my happiness. But I can no longer owe him my secrecy."

He stood and drew Welkin to her feet as well. "Come sit with me by the fire my love. I have something I have wanted to tell you for so long. Let there be no more secrets between us."

Welkin followed him to the fireplace and sank down on the soft thick surface of the Tibetan lambs wool rug with him. With her back to him he pulled her between his legs until she was leaning back against his chest, his arms encircling her and his chin resting on the top of her head. There was a long pause and then he finally began to speak, telling her the rest of the tale of his association with Voldemort and Albus Dumbledore.

***

"So Voldemort thinks you’re still a Death Eater and spying on Albus, but you’re really a spy for Albus and the Order of the Phoenix that he heads. Severus, that’s so dangerous for you. Why does it have to be you?" Welkin had turned towards him as his story progressed and was now seated across his lap, her arms around his waist.

Snape studied the concerned look on her face and tried to reassure her. "It must be me because I am one of few who are able to shield their thoughts and emotions from the Dark Lord. I have been very successful at it thus far," he added.

"It must be a terrible strain for you though. Always pretending to be something that you’re not. What if something goes wrong? What if you slip? I don’t want anything to happen to you." Welkin was looking at him with a worried frown.

"That will not happen. I will not slip. I have too much at stake now," he said stroking her hair. "I have you and Sullivan."

It was the first time that Severus had automatically included his son in discussion of their family without having to be prompted by Welkin. Had he finally bonded with him, she wondered.

"I wonder if Minerva is doing okay with Sully."

"I am sure that they are fine. She would have Owled us if things were not well in hand."

"I know. It’s just that he’s so little. It scares me sometimes that I might do something to him to hurt him without even knowing it. I’ve never had to deal with a baby before."

"You are doing fine with him. He smiles quite often. I do not think he would smile if he was in discomfort," Snape logically concluded.

"He does smile a lot doesn’t he? And did you know that he's already tried to flip over?" Welkin reported with some excitement. "That’s very unusual isn’t it? I mean - that’s pretty advanced for his age, don’t you think?"

"He is quite exceptional." Severus agreed proudly. "I do not believe that he is in danger of becoming a dunderhead."

They were quiet for several minutes, watching the roaring fire in the fireplace, each lost in their own thoughts.

"Severus?" Welkin finally broke the silence.

"Yes?"

"Would you like to do it by the fire? This rug is soooooo soft. Can we get a big one for our bedroom? Only in black instead of white."

"Have you been practicing Legilimens Welkin? I was just thinking about the same thing - making love to you on this rug."

"You haven’t started my lessons in Legilimens yet. I just know you really well I guess." She smiled broadly at him and his heart did a somersault in his chest.

"I guess," Snape agreed.

"Let me assist you with taking off this atrocious ‘contraceptive device’," he said, helping her pull her Weasley Christmas sweater over her head and tossing it into the corner. He pulled off his own and it joined hers.

His happiness at being back together with Welkin was causing him to do many uncharacteristic things tonight. He might as well add one more to the list. He picked a pirate theme from among the plethora of Welkin's fantasies that he had to choose from. It was completely out of character for him, and that was one of the reasons he knew that she would love it.

Snape grabbed her around the waist and buried his face between her breasts. "Arrr!" he exclaimed, shaking his head from side to side. "Surrender ye’r booty ta me ye buxom beauty!"

Welkin dissolved into laughter, struggling against him, virtuously attempting to guard her booty from being plundered.

***

"Severus?" Welkin shifted in his arms as they lay watching the fire again. Snape had retrieved the coverlet from the bed for them to lie under.

"What?" he asked yawning.

"Do you visit Lily’s grave?"

"This is the first year that I have not. I have always visited on the anniversary of her death." He was no longer hesitant to talk about Lily with Welkin.

"Why didn’t you this year?"

"Because our son chose to make his arrival that night."

"Oh." She thought about that for a while.

"You could still go you know. It doesn’t have to be on the night she died. It’s alright with me. I’m not jealous anymore and I know you love her. You should go," she concluded.

"I loved her," Severus corrected in the past tense. "You are the only woman who I love now. But Lily was very special to me. She always will be."

"You should go then - to Godric’s Hollow to visit the grave."

"Would you be willing to go with me?" Snape asked tentatively as he stroked her arm.

"You would want me to?"

"Yes I would. If it would not disturb you. We could stop there on the way back to Hogwarts."

"Of course I’ll come, if you really want me to. I just didn’t want to intrude on your privacy. Tell me Severus…what kind of flowers did she like? We should get some to put on the grave."

Welkin was so completely different from Lily in many ways, Snape thought to himself, and yet she was also so much the same in some important ways - the unfailing kindness and empathy she was exhibiting now was one of them.

Welkin tended to take the unappreciated and the supposed misfits of the world under her protective wing, just as Lily had. His Welkin rarely had a unkind word to say about most people, except in jest, or when they had truly shown themselves to be cruel and uncaring. Her temper was hot and impulsive, but she rarely held a grudge and her anger dissipated quickly, her tempestuous outbursts often forgotten within hours or even minutes.

Lily would have liked her if she’d had the chance to meet her, he concluded. Snape was sure of it. They might even have become friends.